Sero-prevalence of HIV infection in children attending some selected hospitals in Kano Metropolis, Nothern Nigeria

Abstract

As the HIV pandemic continues to ravage every aspect of humanity, there is a need to document its prevalence in various health centers situated in Kano. This six-month study reports on the seroprevalence of HIV infection among children less than 15 years of age but above 18 months attending Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospitals (MMSH), Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) and Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital (HBPH) Kano. The voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) of the children of the abovementioned age group was conducted at the VCT sites of MMSH, IDH and HBPH. Simple/rapid testing method was employed in the research and conducted in accordance with WHO’s recommended assays. Out of the 317 children counseled, only 276 (87%) decided to be tested for HIV. Results obtained from the work show that 4% of the tested children were positive. The prevalence of HIV with respect to sex and age of the subject involved in this study was higher in males and 1.5 – 5.0 years age group respectively. Keywords: Sero-prevalence, HIV, Infection, Children, Hospitals, Kano metropolis